China

China is the fourth largest country in the world and occupies a large part of east Asia. China shares borders with fourteen countries and has a coastline on the East China Sea, South China Sea, and the Yellow Sea. The topography is very diverse and the country has a huge variety of landscapes. The Himalaya and Kunlun Shan mountains dominate the southwest. The north is mountainous with arid basins. A large part of China is taken up by the Gobi and the vast Taklimakan Desert in the west and central areas. The Yangtze, Yellow and Pearl are the major rivers in China. Climatic conditions are diverse; temperate, warm subtropical and extreme mountain climate. Most of China´s population lives in rural areas and agriculture employs around half the working population. The main crop is rice. The main exports are machinery, textiles, toys, footwear and sporting goods. The capital city is Beijing. (Peking)